A variety of options are available when booting Microsoft's Windows 95/98 operating systems (WINDOWS 95 and WINDOWS 98 are marks of Microsoft Corporation). A standard computer configured with one of these operating systems can present the user with a list of choices for booting the operating system. However, to reach that menu of choices one must remember to press the F8 key at the proper time (when the "Starting Windows 95" or "Starting Windows 98" message appears). After one presses the F8 key properly, the computer presents a menu and one can then press a number to make a selection. Typical selections include possibilities such as Normal, Logged, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Network Support, Step-by-Step Confirmation, Command Prompt Only, Safe Mode Command Prompt, and Previous Version Of DOS. The previous version of DOS menu option will boot the version of DOS that was installed before the installation of Windows 95/98; this option allows users to access their old DOS as well as Windows 95/98. Unless indicated otherwise, "DOS" includes MS-DOS, PC-DOS, DR-DOS, Novell DOS (marks of their respective owners), and similar operating systems, and "Windows" includes Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT (marks of Microsoft Corporation).
If one adds the Microsoft Windows NT operating system to a computer, then a Windows NT menu is also added, so one can select Windows NT, Windows NT VGA Mode or Windows 95/98 (WINDOWS NT is a mark of Microsoft Corporation). By going through two menus one can access three operating systems: Windows NT in two different modes (Normal and VGA mode), Windows 95/98 in several different modes, and DOS. "NT" is used here as an abbreviation of "Windows NT operating system," just as "Windows 98" in used to abbreviate "Windows 98 operating system" and so on with other operating systems.
If one adds the OS/2 operating system, one often also installs the IBM Boot Manager program which allows a selection to be made at boot-time between OS/2 and previously installed operating systems (OS/2 and BOOT MANAGER are marks of IBM). But this means that in order to boot DOS, one must load the NT boot menu from Boot Manager, then from the NT boot menu choose Windows 95/98, then hit the F8 key when the "Starting Windows 95" or "Starting Windows 98" message appears, and finally, press the key that corresponds to the number of the option for "Previous DOS." Then the original DOS will boot.
In addition, the Boot Manager menu has a time-out. If one delays too long, Boot Manager boots according to a default choice. The NT menu also has a time-out, after which it boots NT. A user may have only a two-second window in which to hit the F8 key to get the six options presented by Windows 95/98.
In response to this boot option complexity, boot management programs have been developed to let users select between various operating systems and operating system modes in a less complex way at boot-time. Like other programs, boot management programs can benefit from user familiarity with graphical user interface mechanisms such as cursors and menus.
However, there is little support for graphical user interface ("GUI") operations at boot-time before an operating system comes up. Operations that would be straight-forward after booting, such as generating and displaying graphical lines, pictures, and fonts, are often much harder at boot-time because the operating system and standard graphics programs and libraries are not available. A boot-time application is often solely responsible for providing menus or other graphics components.
Supporting fonts poses a particular challenge. Rendering fonts can be difficult, especially when multiple language versions of the software are required. In particular, challenges are posed by non-ASCII character sets, including double-byte character sets such as Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Arabic, and Hebrew.
In response to the lack of support for fonts, menus, and other GUI components at boot-time, some boot-time interfaces simply run in text mode without any attempt at graphics. Other interfaces use custom fonts while still in text mode. However, in text mode a given character has only two associated colors, namely, a foreground color and a background color. A mouse cursor may be provided, but it is generally shown either by blinking the character at the cursor's present location or by limited color changes using the available background and foreground colors. In general, text mode interfaces are less flexible and powerful than graphical user interfaces.
Boot management programs provide several examples of attempts to create something resembling a graphical user interface at boot-time. One version of the Boot Manager program uses a character-oriented display at boot-time rather than a graphical user interface. The program must do, in the limited boot-time environment, all the work necessary to display custom fonts to support languages such as Japanese and other non-ASCII character sets.
One version of a program from V Communications, Inc. known as "System Commander" apparently uses a text mode but defines custom characters to give the appearance of a simple GUI. This program is limited because it actually runs in text mode rather than graphics mode.
System Commander does reduce boot option complexity but could also be improved in that respect. System Commander may be used instead of Boot Manager to select an operating system to boot. System Commander also allows more than one operating system to be installed in a single partition on a hard drive. The ability to select from multiple operating systems stored in a single partition eliminates the need to boot the Windows NT menu to get to Windows 95/98 and then to DOS. For instance, to boot Windows NT in VGA mode one goes through System Commander and the Windows NT menu; to boot Windows 95 Safe Mode one goes through System Commander and then presses the F8 key to get a menu and then chooses Safe Mode. To boot a previous version of DOS one simply goes through System Commander. Although System Commander reduces the complexity, however, one still must deal with multiple menus and varied selection mechanisms such as entering a number or pressing a function key.
One version of a program from Quarterdeck Corporation known as "Select-It" apparently loads a DOS kernel, and then runs a graphical user interface. Select-It apparently uses a third party graphics library to display graphics, line boxes, and so on, and to render fonts. The library used apparently does not provide for common GUI objects such as push buttons, menus, and text controls; all of these would need to be implemented separately. A graphics library of this type may be large in size and often requires significant amounts of memory.
Select-It does reduce boot option complexity but could also be improved in that respect. Select-It may be used instead of Boot Manager to select an operating system to io boot. Select-It allows one to have either Windows 95 or Windows 98 in a given partition and use menu items to boot the operating system in several different modes; multiple operating systems are apparently stored in separate subdirectories in the partition. However, to get access to some of the other modes one must press the F8 key to get a menu and then choose the menu item for the desired mode. Full support for Windows NT is also lacking.
Thus, it would be an advance to further reduce boot option complexity by presenting a simpler and more uniform interface, supported by an appropriate organization of multiple operating systems.
It would also be an advance to provide improved support for graphical user interfaces at boot-time.
Such improvements are described and claimed below.